Safety razor



Figure 1 is a s1 Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED s'rAi l-z's' PATENT- oFFicE.;-; 7

GEORGE BROWNING, OF CHICAGO,ILLI1\TOIS, ASSIGN'OR TO LEAN D-ER H. LA CHANCE, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY nezon.

Application filed May. 22, 1922. SerialNo. 562,592.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Gnonon BROWNING, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city of (lhicago in the county of Cook and the Stateof Illinois, have invent ed certain new and usefulrImprovements in Safety Razors, of' which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. a f I This invention relates to safety razorsof the reciprocating-blade type, and has for its general object to simplify and otherwise improve theconstruction of a razorof the kind mentioned. This object I attain chiefly by employing fewer parts in the design, and by designing each part thereof witheconomy of manufacture in view. 7 a

One of the special advantages attaching to the structurehere shown is that it provides a means of the utmost simplicity for trans lating a straight-line reciprocating motion of one member into a straight line reciprocating motion of the blade "along a line at right angles to that of the first-mentioned motion. Another special feature is a novel mounting and fastening for the main guard, whereby said guard is .latchable, in either open or closed position by, devices of simplicity which. eliminate the manually operated clamping or latching parts previously employed. The invention, therefore, consists in the features and, elements of construction and their combinations, hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings: I

'deor end elevation of a safety razor embodying the invention, omitting aportion of thehandlej I r Figure2 'isan enlarged plan view taken in section as to the guard only, upon line 2-2 on Figure 1, portions of the blade and comb guard being broken away.

, Figure 3 is a detail section taken as indieate d at line 3-3 on Figure 2, the handle being broken away.

Figure 4 is a detail view ofportions of the pivoted guard and frame.

Figure 5 is a detail section showing the snap mounting of the guard.

Figures 6 and 7 are perspectives of two of the frame parts,.detached'.

, Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified formofblade.

Figure 9 is a detail section taken as inclicated at the line 99 on Figure. 3.

As shown in the drawings, the frame of the razor'is constructed of sheet metal and comprises a handle-supported part, 1, 1*, hereinafter termed a yoke; a bottom plate, 2, provided with lugs, 3, for supporting. the ends of the comb guard, 4; and atop plate, 5.

The yoke, l--1, forms a spacerbetween the said top and bottom plates, which are fastened in position upon the part, 1,'with two rivets passed through hooks oribends, 6, in the ends of the lateral parts, 1, of the yoke, as very clearly indicated by dotted lines on Figure 2. The lower heads of'these' rivets areindicated at7, the upper heads, at 8. These upperheads are given acylindrici form whereby they serve as guide-studs for the reciprocative razor blades, 9.

The central lug, 10', of yoke, ,1,1, has a threaded hole for the're'ception of areduced threaded extension on the handle, 12,'which is ofthe ordinaryor any preferred kind. The bottom plate, 2, shown detached by Fi ure 6, has the two holes, 13,.for7the rivets, the oppositely extended'lugs, 3, havingriv'etholes, 14:,- and a pair of bearing brackets, 15, struck down as shown and provided with axially aligned circular, holes, 16 This plate, 2, is notched out at 17 to a depth equal to the thickness offmetal of yoke, 1 -1 to receive the portion, 10*, (Figure 3), where the lug, 10, first branches from-the body of the yoke. This makes the back of the yoke flush with the rear edge of the plate, 2, (see Fig. 1). n

guide-slots, 23, engagetheheads or guide:

The blade as shown inFi ure 2 has an.

oblique slot, 31, therein, located with the cen-' ter of the'slot at the center of the blade in both directions, and the central position;

lengthwise is due only to the construction and arrangement of the driving mechanism. The blade is actuated by a pin, 25, carried rigidly by the end of a pitina'n, '26, which is driven in the present case by acne-piece crank shaft, 27, whose two journals, 28, are operatively engaged with apair of traction rollers, 29. The driving pin,25, projects through a guiding slot, 30, in plate 5, a suitficient distance to en age the blade-slot, 31, and is permanentl fixed to the pitman 26 by means of a stu 32, driven through the pitman into the pin, 25, the end of stud, 32, resting slidably on frame-plate, 2. Friction is minimized by convexing the end of the stud, as shown in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 3, the pitman-head, 34, is economically formed by bending the end of the pitman into an eye, 34.

The traction rollers, 29, are provided with peripheral teeth, 35, which preferably are given a rake in the proper direction for obtaining a high coeflicient of traction between these rollers and the surface to be shaved. The'bores for the shaft, 27, are desirably of a size .to pass freely thereover, and the driving engagementv is effected by cutting diametric or radial slots, 36, in the inner hubs, 37 these slots fit over the respective bends of the shaft without being forced. These crank shaft bends hold the rollers outwardly in; spaced relation to the bearing brackets, 15, as shown.

\ It is apparent that rotation of said rollers will impart a straight-line reciprocation to the pitman in relation to, e. g., section line, 3.3; but it is also evident that the term, straight-line, does not imply that the entire pitman'travels in a straight line in the planeof section, 3 3 owing to the oscillation of its drivenend. In the appended claims, the term, straight-line, is to be construed as in the first sense above mentioned, The direct operative engagement between the blade and the actuating pitman which is efiected by the protrusion of the pm, 25, into the slot 31, avoids the use of any interposed operating .part and thus renders the construction extremely simple. It w ll be understood that the arms, 15, have resilience enoughfto' be sprung apart and passed'over the ends of journals, 28, and will then spring into place.

The saidreciprocation'of the pitman with its driving pin, 25, will impart the required rapld reciprocative movement to the blade, and thepin will clear the ends of the slot,

31, atthe ends'of its strokes. As this slot,

suddenly, which is a desirable point inza razor of this type. It will be obvious that this modified form of slot does not the reversibility of its blade.

The driving pin, 25,, might of course be provided with an antifriction roller. However, said pin may be made of hardermetal than the blades, and the latter will be re: placed from time to time. The lather will also lubricate the walls of the slot and re duce the friction between it and the pin, 25. It only remains to describe mypresent improvements in hinging and fastening the guardplate,' 40, to the lt'rame of the razor.

As shown in Figure 2, tl1e'frame'-plate,'5,"

is provided close to its rear edge, with" a pair of narrow slots, 41. The metal, 42, be-

tween each. slot, 41, and the edge of the plate 7 is non-circular in sectionalform, being preferably as shown in Figure 5,'square in'section. These two portions, 42, which might be called pivots, are offset from the planeof the plate by bending the metal along its length (see 5*, Figure 2) not shown. The

guard plate, 40, is provided with a pair of integralhinge members, 43, bent around the respective pivots as shown, in such a manner that the guard will be held yieldably at the open position indicated on Fignre"5, when turned to that'position. When the guard is turned about its pivots, 42, themembers, 43, of course yield and then reclose upon them by resilience; The slots, 41, are about twice as long as the' hinge members, 43, to allow of lengthwise shifting of the guard for operating my novel integral guard-lock, which comprises a small angular lug, 44, on the guard between hinge members, 43, and a small coacting angular lug, 45, on the plate, 5. These lugs are so positioned that when the guard is closed and caused to register endwise with said plate, the lug, 44, will overlap the lug, 45, as

shown. in .F igure 1, thus forming positive means for holding the guard in closed position. also, which "prevents accidental releaseof the movable lug. This friction might "be increased by imparting a slight twist to the lugs as indicated by Figure 9,whe'reby a wedging effect would be obtained.

It is now apparent that the hinge and The 'two lugs coengage frictionally latch structure described is very simple, and is easily manipulated by manipulating the guard alone, without the use of any separate clamp or latch-piece. Preferably, I cut a recess, 46, in the plate at one side of lug, 45, to receive lug, 44, of the guard when the guard is in open position.

I claim 1. In a safety razor, a blade guided for reciprocation parallel to its cutting edge, a blade-actuating member mounted for reciprocating motion in a direction transverse to the blades reciprocation and having direct operative engagement with the blade; and means toautomatically drive the blade-actuating member.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1, the direct operative engagement between the blade and the actuating member being effected by means of a track or guide-way on one of said parts oblique to both directions of reciprocation and a follower on the other part operating in said guide-way.

3. In the combination defined in claim 1, the direct operative engagement between the blade and the actuating member being effected by means of a slot in the blade oblique to both directions of reciprocation and a part projecting from the actuating member into the slot.

4. In a safety razor, a reciprocating cutting blade, guides for said blade, said blade having a centrally disposed, oblique slot adapted to receive a driving pin; a frame; traction rollers journaled in the frame, a crankshaft rotatable by said rollers, a pitman driven from the crankshaft and provided with a driving pin for the blade, and means to guide the pin.

5. In a safety razor, a frame comprising a sheet metal yoke provided with seats for top and bottom frame-plates and having a pair of opposite lateral portions bent at obtuse angles from the middle portion, the end of each lateral portion being bent hookwise to form channels for frame-rivets.

6. In the combination defined in claim 5, the middle portion of said yoke having a handle-attachment lug thereon, bent at substantially a rightv angle to the adjacent portion of the yoke.- Y

7. In a safety razor, a frame comprising a sheet metal bottom-plate, a sheet metal blade-supporting plate spaced therefrom, a

sheet metal yoke holding said parts' in spaced relation, and rivets fastening said three arts together.

8. n a safety razor, a frame comprising a blade-supporting plate and a guard member hingedly connected to one edge of said supporting plate to overlie the blade; means integral with said guard and co-acting means integral with the supporting plate for holding the guardclosed over the blade.

9. In the combination defined in claim 8, said holding means being frictionally. coengageable for retaining the blade.

10. In the combination defined in claim 8, said hinged guard member being movable axially of its hinge for engaging or disengaging the said integral holding means by moving one of them into or out of registration with the other.

11. In a safety razor, a frame-plate having in one longitudinal edge a pair of longitudinal slots, the metal between said slots and the edge of the plate being non-circular in section, a lug projected from said plate between said slots, a guard-plate having on. its rear edge integral hinge elements engaging the metal portions above specified, and a lug projected from the hinged edge of the guard for engagement with the first-name lug for the purpose described.

12. In a safety razor, a frame comprising a blade-supporting plate and a movable guard hinged to said plate to overlie the blade for retaining it, the hinge pivot being nonacircular and the co-ac-ting part of the hinge embracing it yieldingly for yieldingly holdin the guard in open position.

13. Ks an improved article of manufacture, a razor blade of the wafer type, provided with a centrally positioned slot, said slot being elongated and extending obliquely to the cutting edge of the blade.

14.. As an improved article of manufac-' ture, a razor blade of the wafer type, provided with a centrally positioned slot, said slot being V-shaped in outline, of uniform breadth from end to end thereof, and being symmetrical to a line bisecting the blade longitudinally.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day of May, 1922.

GEORGE BROWNING. 

